The true barometer of a good mystery is when the author sends you down one path and eventually deposits you in a place you never expected to reach. In what could arguably be the strongest episode of its second season, the FOX Network’s Summer series “Wayward Pines,” left this viewer rather shocked at its conclusion. We watch David Pilcher’s utopian community evolve from another perspective, that of the brooding CJ Mitchum, and we find out that Mitchum witnessed the fall of humanity. However, bearing witness took a tough toll on Mitchum, that he’s never truly recovered from.

We begin the evening in the cryogenic facility and a graphic informs us that it’s April 19, 2034, twenty years after the true-believers went into suspended animation. We watch Mitchum get revived for the first time, a process he’ll repeat every 20-years, until 4014. There’s a large blackboard divided into squares and CJ climbs a ladder to record the date in chalk in the upper left square. Mitchum puts on Classical music and opens the windows of the facility, allowing the sun to pour in.

We then watch Mitchum begin rituals he’ll carry out each time he’s revived. He breaks open a roll of pennies and tosses one into a glass container, likely to check oxygenation levels. He makes the first move on a chessboard, then works out on a heavy-bag. He then monitors TV and radio reports, we hear that North Korean refugees being welcomed into the United States and that each immigrant’s being screened for a virus. CJ watches the sunset and asks aloud was it a mistake? He then heads back into the chamber for the next 20-years.

Theo Yedlin storms into the lab where the Abbies are caged and asks Megan Fisher why she never told him about the brand on Margaret’s palm? Fisher says it’s just a tribal marking and Yedlin responds that to have tribes and to utilize the tools to create the brand proves the Abbies are intelligent beings. He then tells Megan that Hassler told him the brand signifies that Margaret’s a leader and says they need to find a way to communicate with her.

Theo grabs some flash-cards and sets up a rudimentary communications system with Margaret, teaching her concepts like yes, no, friend and leader. We can tell that Margaret’s pleased with these new tactics by the look in her eyes and perhaps a war can be avoided.

Mitchum’s revived again in the year 2514 and we can see by the dates on the chalkboard that he’s gone through this ritual every 20-years. Civilization’s crumbling as only one TV network’s broadcasting and the only signal Mitchum picks up on the radio’s an alert. CJ leaves the facility and starts exploring the area when he’s startled to find he’s not alone and he pulls out his gun. A young man stands in front of him, we can see that he’s started to evolve into an Abbie, although he wears clothes, has a full head of hair and talks to Mitchum. He introduces himself as Griffin and tells CJ, he doesn’t carry metal.

The pair explore the area together and Mitchum’s pleased to find a river with potable water and he’s delighted when he sees a school of fish swimming in front of him. Griffin reaches into the river and we realize his hands are claw-like and he grabs one of the fish and then growls.

That night the two build a fire and Mitchum sits in front of it while Griffin sleeps. However we hear Griffin alternate between moaning and growling as he sleeps and CJ gets creeped out and tries to quietly sneak away. He doesn’t get far before Griffin catches up with him and pleads for Mitchum to take him with him. CJ attempts being diplomatic but Griffin grabs him and asks why Mitchum can be saved while he can’t. The two start to struggle but Mitchum breaks the other man’s neck pretty quickly. He then apologizes that he couldn’t save him and heads back to the facility.

The attempt to communicate with Margaret’s making progress as Fisher tries to give the female a cookie, but the Abbie points for Megan to give it to the three males caged beside her. Yedlin’s pleased to see Margaret’s reaction, as she’s showing empathy and more concern for others than herself. Megan scoffs at Theo’s excitement and asks Yedlin if he truly believes communicating with Margaret’s going to solve anything? Theo responds it better, otherwise it’s likely that a war’s coming that the Abbies will probably win.

We rejoin Mitchum in the year 3234 and the weight of the responsibility he carries has gotten the best of him. As he sits at the chessboard he suddenly sees a vision of his late wife Eileen in front of him. He tells Eileen he’s tired and wants to join her, but the vision tells him he’s got a job to carry out and he must fulfill his responsibility.

Adam Hassler comes into the lab and tells Yedlin and Fisher they have to release Margaret or the Abbies will soon storm the town. Megan goes off to get Jason, while Theo tells Hassler that he’s on his side. He then explains that Margaret wanted to be found, that she appeared in front of the carousel and he tells Adam he’s started communicating with her.

CJ reaches the year 4014, and revives the group of true-believers that will prepare Wayward Pines before they revive Group A. When all get revived Pilcher thanks Mitchum for getting them all safely to this point. The pair then leave the facility and start exploring their surroundings and quickly realize they’re not alone when they see they’re standing in the middle of an Abbie settlement.

Mitchum suggests they go back into hibernation but Pilcher decides that the Abbies are mankind gone wrong and says that they’ll push the Abbies back and build an electric fence around the town. We saw in the previous episode the methods Pilcher used to reclaim the land.

Megan returns with Jason and Kerry and Yedlin says that they need to negotiate with Margaret and Higgins says that he won’t be party to that. However Kerry thinks it’s worth a try, and then her and Megan start trading insults. However Yedlin gets his way and they start utilizing the flash-cards again. When Theo explains to Margaret that Jason’s their leader, the Abbie makes it clear she wants to negotiate with Yedlin. Jason of course gets disgusted by the suggestion.

Theo then tries to show Margaret he means the Abbies no harm and punches in the code to open the cage of the male next to her. With palms raised in surrender and repeating the word Friends like a mantra he enters the male’s cage. The Abbie tries to attack Theo, but Adam pulls him from the cage before he’s harmed. Margaret then snarls at the male who whimpers in response. Yedlin defiantly proclaims that proves Margaret controls the males, Higgins declares the experiments over and then kills the three males with one shot each. Before he can shoot Margaret, Theo wrestles the gun away from him. Higgins demands Kerry give him her gun, but she says if he still values her opinion that he’ll let Margaret live. Although he’s unhappy with the resolution he leaves the lab with Kerry.

We rejoin CJ in the year 4018, awakening day for Group A, and Fisher asks Mitchum to join in welcoming the group to their new lives, but Mitchum says he’ll pass on her offer. He tells Megan that he had 2000 years to adjust to the future and Fisher expects these people to adjust instantly. She tells CJ that all will adjust splendidly to their new reality. However her optimism proves unjustified as the people of Group A freak out which leads to their destruction.

Adam leaves the lab telling Theo that he’s Margaret’s choice to replace Jason, but the Abbies are humanity’s replacement. Megan’s visibly shaken by the statement and says she can’t accept the concept that the Abbies are superior beings. Yedlin’s just disgusted with what he’s witnessed and tells Fisher he’s heading back to the hospital to take a shower and try to clear his head and says he’ll return in a couple of hours.

Jason and Kerry seek out Mitchum and ask him if he thought the Abbies were intelligent when he first encountered them with Pilcher? Mitchum asks with all that’s going on why are they suddenly asking that question. Higgins ignores Mitchum’s question and says that he won’t allow the destruction of humanity to occur on his watch.

The final scene takes place in the lab as we watch Megan typing on a computer when she suddenly looks like she’s about to pass out. As the shot widens we see blood dripping down Fisher’s leg and the floor’s covered in her blood, she suddenly says Margaret and we realize the female Abbie released herself from her cage by punching the same digits Yedlin used to open the male’s cage. She then gutted Fisher with a scalpel and Fisher takes her last breath. Margaret walks through the pool of blood as she escapes from the lab.